Resources from the series: Monday Morning Quarterback

The great Christian apologist G.K. Chesterton once responded to a request from The London Times, in which the newspaper asked a simple question, “What is wrong with the world?” Chesterton supplied an equally simple answer. He wrote, “Dear Sirs: I am. Sincerely yours, G.K. Chesterton.”

I love July 4th. It was a hugely important holiday in my family growing up, as both my grandfather and his brother, my great uncle, risked their lives protecting our freedoms during World War Two. These men made sure my brothers and I understood the high cost of freedom so that we would never take it for granted. As thankful as I am for the freedoms we enjoy...

Most of us recall the name Todd Beamer. He was the man who led the passengers against the hijackers of Flight 93, which crashed over Shanksville, PA on September 11, 2001. Shortly before his tremendous act of bravery, which would save many lives, he called his wife. They prayed the Lord’s Prayer together and he concluded, “Jesus, help me. Let’s roll.”

Mark Twain, one of America’s greatest writers, was also a lifelong opponent of Christianity. He called it the “slaughtering religion,” because of the bible’s teaching on Christ’s blood atonement. His wife, Olivia Langdon, was reared in a Christian home. When she met Twain, he downplayed his lack of faith. Eventually they were married and he returned to his former contempt of Christianity. Soon, she left the church. At...

One of the biggest crises facing our country today is not who the next president will be (though, we should be concerned about that). This crisis goes far beyond party affiliations, class, or race. It is the crisis of fatherhood, or better stated, the crisis of the absence of fathers.

Today is Memorial Day, a day when we remember those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. Both my grandfather and his brother, my great uncle, served in World War II and lost many friends. For that reason, they always held this day in high regard and that left a lasting impression on me. So as we fire up the grills today and gather to enjoy...

Have you ever heard the phrase, “That person is so heavenly-minded that he is no earthly good?” There may be some truth to this slogan, for some Christians have the mentality that since heaven is our true home, this present life doesn’t matter all that much. However, at its root, the Bible teaches us the exact opposite of this phrase. This morning, let’s take time to think about...

A Biblical commentator tells the story of God’s love from an incident that occurred during World War I. During the darkest times of that conflict, a conflict that took the lives of a shocking number of English sons, a man took his little boy out for a walk at night. The boy noticed that some of the houses had stars in the windows. “That comes from this terrible...

There are few subjects in the history of the human race more feared and less studied than the wrath of God. In our day, the wrath of God is rarely mentioned from the pulpit (or the pew). Instead, most people balk at the idea that God would ever be angry. One theologian at the turn of the century summarizes well our popular view of God: “A God without...

Last August, our family moved to Mississippi from the Raleigh-Durham area, one of the fastest growing metroplexes in the country. One thing we do not miss is the traffic. Few things were more annoying than sitting daily in the line of cars at a near standstill on I-440, watching some car come streaking down the passing lane, only to cut in ahead of the other cars just before...

Once, as an experiment, the great scientist Isaac Newton stared at the image of the sun reflected in a mirror. The brightness burned into his retina, and he suffered temporary blindness. Even after he hid for three days behind closed shutters, still the bright spot would not fade from his vision. “I used all means to divert my imagination from the sun,” he writes, “But if I thought...

It’s popular today to think that there are many paths to God or that God is whatever you feel him to be. People say things like, “God for me is [fill in the blank].” If Christians claim their knowledge of God is true, this claim is seen as misguided at best and arrogant at worst. But the most important question any of us will ever ask is, “Can...

It’s one of my favorite memories, one I’m sure I share with a lot of dads. My wife and I were at the neighborhood pool when our oldest daughter was just learning to swim. Being only about 2 years old, she was scared to jump in. I kept telling her I would catch her, but she was terrified to jump. She didn’t believe me. Finally, she closed her...

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’m not talking about our appearance. I’m sure most of us wish we could run faster, bench more, have more hair, or whatever. I’m thinking more about our inward character. What is one character flaw you wish you could change? Losing it with your wife? Your kids? Being lazy at work? Not doing enough ministry?

One author notes a motto popular in Athens when the apostle Paul was ministering there over 2000 years ago: “Once a man dies and the earth drinks up his blood, there is no resurrection.” The same attitude is very much with us today. Most people, whether scholars or everyday folks, believe that life ends at death. The notion of resurrection—of bodily life after death—seems like a fairy tale...

One author tells the story of reading about a couple from the Midwest who were caught in a deadly tornado. The fatal twister came upon the couple and their small baby suddenly. Realizing they had no time to take cover, they laid their child on the floor and covered her with their bodies. After the storm passed, rescue workers began the gut-wrenching task of sorting through the wreckage...

A number of years ago, my wife and I had a fellow minister and his wife over for dinner. While we were enjoying our meal, the doorbell rang. When we opened the door, two Mormon missionaries greeted us. My friend and I began to engage them in conversation, asking them about their beliefs. Quite obviously, these two eager young men had paid attention in their training, rattling off...

Bob Woods tells the story of a couple who took their son, 11, and daughter, 7, to Carlsbad Caverns. When the tour reached the deepest point in the cavern, the guide turned off all the lights to show how utterly dark it was underground. The little girl, suddenly enveloped in utter darkness, was frightened and began to cry. Immediately her older brother spoke up. “Don’t cry. Somebody here...